Chapter 26: Pedantry

Chapter 26: Pedantry

Tang Shuyi watched Xiao Yuming stride away, wondering if his clothes would still be wearable when he returned. This stepson was truly a clothes-waster.

"These... these... these..." she pointed to five or six dark fabrics and said, "Make two sets of each style according to Yuming's measurements."

Everyone in the room couldn't help but laugh. Xiao Yuming could hardly wear a set of clothes a few times before it became unwearable. Either too dirty to be seen in public or too worn out to wear.

Tang Shuyi sighed, "If we were a poor family, he'd have to wear patched clothes every day."

Her remark again elicited laughter from everyone in the room.

Tang Shuyi then called over Xiao Yuzhu to choose, but since it was a period of mourning, Xiao Yuzhu, who liked bright and vivid colors, could only wear dark or plain colors. Unsure of what to choose, she said to Tang Shuyi, "Mother, you pick for me."

Tang Shuyi looked at her, noting her flawless pale skin like fine mutton-fat jade, and said with a smile, "My girl has fair skin and looks good in anything."

Upon hearing the praise, Xiao Yuzhu didn't blush but beamed brightly instead. Seeing this, Tang Shuyi couldn't resist patting her head. Although this young girl was a bit willful, she lacked any pettiness. Tang Shuyi admired her straightforward and generous nature.

A bit of wilfulness in the young girl was nothing to worry about; she could be taught in time. As long as her heart was kind and she understood propriety, being a little flamboyant wasn't an issue. A girl of noble birth should carry the grace befitting her status, living life unrestrainedly.

Tang Shuyi chose light green, ice blue, and light purple fabrics, holding them against Xiao Yuzhu's body and asking if she liked them. Pointing to the light green, Xiao Yuzhu said, "I don't like this color; Xiao Qingyu wears it often."

Tang Shuyi raised an eyebrow slightly, sensing the young girl's deep resentment toward Xiao Qingyu. She asked, "What did Xiao Qingyu do now?"

Xiao Yuzhu puffed up her cheeks and said, "The day before yesterday, she deliberately spilled ink on my homework and then pretended it was an accident with her whiny voice. So I poured all my ink on her homework and clothes, saying it wasn't intentional either.

She cried pitifully, and I pointed at her and said, 'You say it wasn't intentional when you dirtied my homework today, nor when you stained my clothes the day before, nor when you broke my pen holder before that, and all the other times. Are you mentally challenged or physically handicapped that you always mess up my stuff? And why is it always my things you mess up and not anyone else's?'"

The young girl recounted the story with vibrant enthusiasm. Tang Shuyi smiled and asked, "What happened next?"

"The master scolded her and even punished her to copy characters." Xiao Yuzhu, clutching Tang Shuyi's arm, laughed, "Mother, your advice really worked. But Xiao Qingyu caused more trouble."

"What did she do this time?" Tang Shuyi pulled her to sit and asked.

"She brought a bunch of beaded flowers to school and gave them to our classmates, telling them not to play with me." Xiao Yuzhu's cheeks puffed up again.

"So, what do you want to do?" Tang Shuyi inquired.

Xiao Yuzhu shook her head. Being ostracized naturally didn't feel good, but she didn't want to be like Xiao Qingyu, giving things to those classmates. It wasn't about the value of the beaded flowers; she simply didn't want to give them to those people.

Tang Shuyi tugged at her little hand and humphed, saying, "We disdain to associate with those who are sycophantic and opportunistic, the likes who swarm around for personal gain like flies and behave like craven dogs."

Xiao Yuzhu looked at Tang Shuyi with her big, confused eyes, not understanding what she meant. Tang Shuyi turned to Xiao Yuchen beside her and said, "You explain."

Xiao Yuchen saw this as an excellent opportunity to teach his sister, and he puffed up his chest, saying, "Like flies that swarm for gain, they stop at nothing. The gentleman of integrity and kindness does not believe in slanderous words; such behaviors are the doings of the petty."

Xiao Yuzhu was even more bewildered, blinking her big eyes, looking from Xiao Yuchen to Tang Shuyi. Tang Shuyi couldn't help but laugh; this was what they called showing off one's learning.

Taking a sip of tea to suppress her smile, she said to Xiao Yuzhu, "What your brother means is, Xiao Qingyu's behavior of currying favor and isolating you through trivial favors like bead flowers is petty and mean, and she has brought disgrace upon herself."

Xiao Yuzhu still looked baffled. Tang Shuyi further explained, "If Xiao Qingyu were truly excellent, why would she need to curry favor with trivial gifts? Moreover, those who can be swayed by such small favors are usually those with weak wills and greedy for petty gains. Such people are not worth associating with. If a bead flower can make them isolate someone today, wouldn’t something more valuable tomorrow lead them to harm someone?"

After hearing this, Xiao Yuzhu clenched her teeth and said, "I'll never play with them again."

Tang Shuyi nodded, "In choosing friends, one should look for those who share similar interests and agree on matters of principle."

She thought about explaining the concept of having aligned moral compasses, but the young girl might not understand. Nevertheless, even with the simplified explanation, Xiao Yuzhu still looked only half-enlightened. Tang Shuyi patted her head and said, "It's alright if you don't understand; your mother will explain it to you gradually over time."

Xiao Yuchen, having heard Tang Shuyi's explanation, was impressed and said, "Mother explains things in a way that's easy to understand."

Tang Shuyi remembered her own scholarly display and laughed again, "Your sister doesn't read much, she wouldn't understand if I quoted the classics."

Hearing that she was being called out for not reading much, Xiao Yuzhu puffed up her cheeks. Tang Shuyi soothed her by stroking her head, "Our Yuzhu doesn't read much because she's young. If you read more every day, perhaps when you're as old as your brother, you might have read even more books than him."

The little girl, cheered by these words, grinned broadly, leaving Xiao Yuchen with a helpless expression.

"Yuchen, you should also pick out some fabrics," Tang Shuyi shifted the topic.

Xiao Yuchen was not as rough as Xiao Yuming and paid great attention to his appearance. He stood up and walked over, reaching for a piece of crescent white Shu brocade, but retracted his hand before touching it. He remembered Xiao Yuming's earlier comment that white clothes were ostentatious.

Tang Shuyi noticed his gesture and, recalling Xiao Yuming's words, burst into laughter, with Xiao Yuzhu also leaning in and chuckling beside her. Xiao Yuchen felt embarrassed and awkward, so he turned to Tang Shuyi, who was still laughing, and said, "Mother, would you help me choose?"

Tang Shuyi stopped laughing and held up a few pieces of fabric against him, "These few should do."

Then she turned to the leather materials. As a great general, Xiao Huai was naturally skilled and fond of hunting, so there were many kinds of leathers in the house, including fox, mink, wolf, and deer.

"These mink furs should be made into a cloak for the Duke," said Tang Shuyi, taking out a few pieces of dark fur. Then she picked up two pieces of wolf fur, "These two should be made into boots for the Duke."

The 'Duke' she referred to was naturally Duke Tang.

The bond between people is reciprocal. The Duke of Tang has always been considerate towards her and their three children, and she felt it was only right to return the favor.

After selecting a few more pieces of leather for cloaks for herself and the children, Tang Shuyi instructed her servants to move the materials away. Then, she said to Xiao Yuzhen, "In a few days, the senior lady of the Qi household will be celebrating her birthday. Since we're in mourning, we cannot attend the banquet. Tomorrow, you should take a gift to the Qi household and wish the senior lady a happy birthday in advance."

Xiao Yuzhen nodded in agreement, and Tang Shuyi added, "Although your father had some disagreements with Minister Qi in the past, there was no deep-seated hatred between them. Minister Qi shares the same political views as your uncle, so we should not alienate them."

Xiao Yuzhen nodded earnestly, "I understand, Mother."

Now that the emperor was aging, the so-called political alignment meant that they were either favoring a certain prince or remaining neutral. But whether they favored a prince or remained neutral, they would inevitably stand opposed to the Second Prince.

Previously, Xiao Yuzhen had been preoccupied with his studies and his affection for Liu Biqin, paying little attention to politics and worldly affairs. However, as he began to gradually engage with these matters in recent days, he clearly understood that any of the princes could become the next emperor, except for the Second Prince.

Now that Qi Liangsheng's political views aligned with those of the Duke's mansion, it meant he did not favor the Second Prince either. Therefore, it was worthwhile to cultivate a good relationship with him.